rubella and boys and innoculations - question please

[stressed2007]

Hello. I understand from another thread that boys cannot have rubella. Can anyone please explain to me the repercussions of me not getting my son innoculated against rubella - he can't catch it but can he give it to others? If so how does that work? Thanks very much

Of course boys can have rubella - it's just that it doesn't have the implications that it does for women of child bearing age.

Boys are immunised as it keeps up the herd immunity and reduces the chances of everyone getting it

I had never heard that boys couldn't get german measles? In fact my brothers got it when they were younger so that can't be true!

AKAIK rubella was added to the MMR to try and eradicate german measles altogther and therefore prevent the terrible problems that pg women can suffer from if they catch this illness.

Could be wrong though, sure someone much more knowledgeable will be along.

My clinic just said they can't get it - so much for the experts. Hope someone definitive will come along soon.

Also as soon as you are 1st time pregnant you get tested for rubella immunity and they jab you if you don't have immunity so I don't understand this argument about protecting pg women.

Women don't always know they're pg though in the early stages - and this is the most dangerous time to contract rubella isn't it? So that argument doesn't work.

according to nhs direct anyone can get rubella. Also you only get the jab after you give birth so it will not protect during that particular pregnancy by which time it may have already done harm.

rubella immunity from a jab or the illness doesn't necessarily last - so it's safer to be around immunised children if you are pregnant.

The R in MMR is rubella and recommended for all dcs - boys and girls. So many/most dcs will be immune to rubella while they are tiny though the immunity may fade by the time they themselves want to get preganant.

An dyou are supposed to have your blood test fro immunity BEFORE TTC so you can then have the rublla jab, wait 6 months (or is it 3?) and then begin TTC.

Does this help?

Thanks. On babycentre it actually says wait 1 month after the rubella jab before TTC.

Playing devils advocate though if DC are immune to rubella following a jab when they are tiny but then it fades isn't this something that requires top ups for all (as anyone coud come in contact woth pregnanat women) and not just for children?

Th erubella jab used to be given to girla when they were 12/13 as rubella is only usually serious to unborn foetus'.
They decided to stick it in with the MMR as a practicality as children at that age are usually availble and parents attentive to vaccinations.
unfortunately the rubella element of the MMR does not last terribly long so pregnant women who had the MMR as children can become vulnerable again.
Boy do not need to be protected but can infect pregnant women.
So immunuity is important to protect pregnant women butthe jab is given to toddlers.

HTH's

Well I had the jab as a teenager at school.

To me it makes more sense that girls continue to have jab as teenagers (so that at least they are definitely protected) rather then jabbing all toddlers (including boys that don't need the protection themselves) when the chance is it will wear off and may not protect the girls when they pregnant any way. Surely that offers the pg women the most protection? Maybe I am missing something though.

I am with you Stressed.
Girls hould have it around puberty. Thats when DD will get it.

Sadly giving it around puberty means that many teen/preteen girls would opt out (having been in school when jabs are being given..mass hysteria...) without understanding the full implications of their decision.

And then there's the "are you pregnant/could you be pregnant?" question that complictaes it even further.

And giving it to under 5s means that their mums/aunties/friends mums in the paygroup are helped because the chances of bringing it home from playgroup to a preganant adult female are reduced.

and AFAIK having it at puberty doesn't seem to lead to a greater number of adult TTC women being immune as opposed to if they'd had it in childhood.

stressed2007 - rubella is a mild illness for everyone apart from pregnant women. My DS is now 3 and we went for single jabs - I did decide for him to have the rubella jab because it is likely that he will be around pregnant women - boys will catch it and pass it on - it will do them no harm, but it will harm a foetus. My DD is 1 and she will also be having the rubella jab singly soon.

However, regarding the boosters, I am in 2 minds about this. Immunity does not last long enough when toddlers are jabbed so I am thinking of them both having the rubella boosters when they are about 8.

You can get blood tests to determine whether a child who's had one rubella jab is still immune and I am thinking I might get them a blood test each because I want to delay the actual booster jab so that they are both covered during their childbearing years. Well, for DS, what I mean is he might get someone pg when he is 35 or whatever, so I want his immunity to last as well as DD's.

I think the rubella element of the MMR is a ticking timebomb. There is lots of controversy over MMR so there are many unvaccinated children of both sexes. Single jabs are expensive and sometimes can be difficult to get so I think in a few years time, there are going to be pregnant women around who have no immunity to rubella. This will be very dangerous to their babies.

and that's why the message has to be if you are TTC get your blood tests done asap!